Pill dispenser



Dec. 21, 1965 R. D. sEMscH 3,224,534

PILL DISPENSER Filed March 22, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. l2

IN VENTOR.

ROBERT D. SEMSCH BY 62% dam/9 m ATTORN EYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,224,634 Patented Dec. 23, 1965 3,224,634 PILL DISPENSER Robert D. Semsch, 13400 W. McGinty Road, Minneapolis 26, Minn. Filed Mar. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 267,134 4 Claims. (Cl. 22ll239) The herein disclosed invention relates to pill dispensers and resides in providing a device which is safe to have around where there are small children present.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a dispenser which requires ingenuity beyond that of a small child to open.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a dispenser having a case for the reception of the pills, a rotatable member having a discharge opening therein and means associated with said rotatable member and normally closing said discharge opening, said means requiring three successive movements of the rotatable member to open the discharge opening.

An object of the invention resides in providing a dispenser having a case for the reception of the pills, a rotatable member having a discharge opening therein and means associated with said rotatable member and normally closing said discharge opening, said means requiring a circular movement, an axial movement and a second circular movement to open the discharge opening.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a head within the case having a groove with longitudinally spaced inner and outer branches and a longitudinal portion therebetween and in further providing means movable along said groove and guiding said rotatable member for movement relative to said case.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an expanded view of the parts of one form of the invention showing the relation of the same for assembly and in which the parts are illustrated in inverted position and in which some of the parts are shown in longitudinal section FIG. 2 is an eievational view of the assembled structure illustrated in its normal erected position with the case shown in longitudinal sectional PEG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an inverted end view, as indicated by line 6-6, of the structure shown in FIG. 2 with the outlet to the discharge passageway closed and the rotatable member locked from movement into opening position of the outlet of the discharge passageway.

FIG. 7 is an inverted end sectional view, taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 9, of the structure shown in FIG. 2 with the partition closing the inlet to the discharge passageway of the dispenser.

FIG. 8 is an elevational View showing the parts positioned for unlocking the rotatable member to permit of moving the same into opening position of the discharge passageway.

FIG. 9 is an elevational sectional view taken on line 99 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a modification of the invention.

FIG. 11 is an elevational view of the assembled structure with the partition shown in upright position, and with the case shown in section.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 taken on line l2-12 of FIG. 11 and showing the outlet opening closed.

The invention comprises a case 10 having a body 11 cylindrical in form and having a cylindrical tubular wall 12, an end wall 13 at one end and open at its other end. This construction provides in the body 11 a bore 14 forming a compartment 16 in which the pills to be dispensed, some of which are indicated by the reference numeral 15, may be disposed.

Disposed at the open end of wall 12 is a head 20 cylindrical in form and having an outer cylindrical surface 21 adapted to fit into the bore 14 of the body 11 of case 10. This head adjacent the inner end thereof is formed with a head 22 adapted to snap into an annular groove 17 formed in the wall 12 and extending inwardly of the bore 14 thereof. To facilitate attachment of the head 20 to the body 11 the case 10 is constructed of some elastic material such as polyethylene. Formed in the head 20 is a passageway 23 the outer portion of which has an inlet 24 and an outlet 25. Also formed in said head is a funnel 26 which forms the inner portion of said passageway and which has a throat 27 disposed in axial alignment with the outer end of passageway 23. The structure of the head 20 is also formed with an annular groove 28 which lies between the inlet 24 and the discharge end of the throat 27 and intersects said passageway and communicates therewith.

Mounted on the head 20 is a rotatable member 30 which is constructed with a sleeve or skirt 31 having a bore 32 therein snugly receiving the head 20. Said rotatable member further has an end wall 33 which overlies the end surface 29 of head 20. The groove 28 has an ollset 34 in the same which provides two branches 35 and 36 in said groove which are axially spaced from one another to form an abutment 37 therebetween. The branch 35 of the groove 28 intersects the passageway of the throat 27 and is situated at the inlet 24 to said passageway. Formed on the rotatable member 30 is a partition 41 which is adapted to travel along the groove 28 and to occupy a position covering the inlet 24 of passageway 23. This partition serves as a closure for the inlet for said passageway.

For the purpose of assembling the rotatable member 30 on the head 20, said head 20 is formed with an axially extending groove 42 of dimensions sufiicient to receive the partition 41 as best shown in FIG. 3. This groove communicates with the groove 28 at the branch 36 thereof and when the rotatable member is applied to said head directs the partition 41 into said groove. The end wall 33 of the rotatable member 30 is provided with an opening 43 which is positioned in axial alignment with the partition 41. When the partition 41 is in closing position with respect to the inlet 24 of passageway 23, the opening 43 is in register with the outlet 25 of said passageway. Thus, the end wall 33 forms a closure for the outlet 25 of said r passageway.

To hold the rotatable member 30 in operable position upon the head 20, a groove 51 is formed in said head which is disposed inwardly of the cylindrical groove 28. This groove has an offset 52 in the same which divides the groove into an outer branch 53 and an inner branch 54. Adjacent partition 41 and extending inwardly of the bore 32 of the rotatable member 30 is a button 55. Upon the assembly of the rotatable member 30 on the head the button 55 rides over the cylindrical surface 21 of said head and enters groove 28 with the partition 41 received in the groove 42. As the partition travels inwardly along this grove, the button 55 is forced out of the groove 28 and finally reaches groove 51. This button now guides the rotatable member 30 for circumferential movement with respect to said head and when the button reaches the offset 52 guides said member for axial movement relative to said head. The offset 52 is centered relative to the offset 34 and likewise the button 55 is centered with reference to the partition 41 so that button 55 permits the partition 41 to travel along either branch of groove 28 and to be shifted from one branch to the other. While abutment 37 has been in groove 28 for engagement with partition 41, a similar abutment 56 may be formed in groove 51 for engagement with button 55. Either or both abutments may be used if desired. The partition 41 serves as an inlet closure and may hence be moved into the branch 35 to close the inlet 24 to passageway 23. At the same time, the opening 43 is brought into register with the outlet of passageway 23 and a pill disposed in the passageway 23 may be discharged therefrom when the assembled structure is mounted in the position shown in FIG. 9.

The manner of using the invention is as follows: With the parts arranged as shown in FIG. 1, the rotatable member is first applied to the head 20 as previously described. The requisite number of pills are then filled in the body 11 and the assembly of the head 20 and the rotatable member 30 attached to said body by inserting the head into the bore 14 of the wall structure 12 and forcing the bead 22 into the groove 17. The structure is then inverted to the position shown in FIG. 2. With the partition 41 in the branch 36 of groove 28, the outlet 25 of passageway 23 is closed. At the same time inlet 24 is open. One of the pills will hence drop into the passageway 23. Upon rotating rotatable member 30 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 6, the partition 41 continues to rotate until it strikes the abutment 37. In such position, the outlet 25 is still closed by the end wall 33 of the rotatable member 30. To remove the pill from the passageway 23 the rotatable member must now be moved axially with the partition 41 traveling in the offset 34 until said partition comes in alignment with the branch 35 of groove 28. The rotatable member may now be moved further to close the inlet 24 and to bring the opening 43 in the end wall 33 into register with passageway 23 thereby opening the outlet 25. The pill contained in the passageway 23 will then drop out of the said passageway through opening 43.

In FIGS. 1O, 11 and 12 of the drawings, a modification of the invention has been shown in which groove 51 has been dispensed with and also the button 55. This is accomplished by making the rotatable member in two parts. Said parts consist of a sleeve 60 and a base 70. The sleeve 60 is constructed similar to the skirt or circumferential wall 31 of the other form of the invention and has a bore 63 which is open at both ends. This sleeve carries a partition 61 serving the same purpose as the partition 41 of the other form of the invention. The modification also includes a head 80 and a receptacle 90.

The base 70 is constructed with a conical shaped circumferential wall 71 which has a bore 72 of the same diameter as the bore 63 of the sleeve 60. Said bore extends almost to the bottom 73 of said base to form an end wall 74 in said bottom conforming to the end wall 33 of the rotatable member 30. This end wall has a discharge opening 75 in it which is disposed at a locality similar to that of the opening 43 in the rotatable member 30. The sleeve 60 is attached to the base 70 by means of a bead 64 formed on the end thereof and which is adapted to be received in an annular groove 76 extending inwardly of the bore 72 of said base at the end thereof opposite the wall 74. The end 62 of the sleeve 60 engages a shoulder 77 on the base 70 whereby the bore 63 of said sleeve lies in continuation of the bore 72 of the base 70. The base 70 is constructed of some elastic material similar to that used for rotatable member 30 whereby the bead 64 will snap in place in the groove 76. When the parts are assembled, the partition 61 is disposed immediately above opening 75.

The head 80 is constructed the same as the case 20 with the exception that the groove 51 is omitted. The description of the same will hence not be repeated and the same reference numeral preceded by the digit 1 will be used to designate the corresponding parts. In this form of the invention the groove 142 is disposed in the same portion of the head 80 as the hopper 126 and enters branch 136 of groove 128 from the opposite side.

The case of this form of the invention is also identical with the case 10 of the other form of the invention, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

The same reference numerals used in describing the other form of the invention and preceded by the digit 1 will be used to designate the corresponding parts.

In assembling the parts, the head 80 is first inserted into the bore 63 of the sleeve 60 with the partition 61 entering the groove 142 thereof and passing into the branch 136 of groove 128. The base 70 is first arranged with the opening 75 opposite the partition 61. The base 70 is next applied to the sleeve 60, causing bead 64 to snap into groove 76. The parts are then securely held in proper relation. An examination of FIG. 11 will reveal that sleeve 60 which carries partition 61 cannot move upwardly relative to head 80, the wall 74 of base 70 engaging the lower end of said head and restraining such movement. Also, the sleeve 60 cannot move downwardly relative to the head 80 since the partition 61 engages the lower circumferential surface of the groove 128. After assembly of the sleeve 60 base 70 and head 80, the case 90 is filled with the requisite number of pills and the head 80 attached to said case by forcing the bead 122 thereof into the groove 117 in said wall 112 of the body 111 of said case.

In the use of the device, the parts are positioned together as shown in FIG. 2. Rotation of the rotatable member 30 would hence cause the partition 41 to travel in the branch 36 of groove 28. Said partition upon striking the abutment 37 would terminate movement of the rotatable member 30 before the opening 43 came into register with the passageway 23. If the rotatable member 30 is now pulled outwardly as shown in FIG. 8, the button 55 drops into the portion 52 of passageway 51 and also the partition 41 drops into the portion 34 of passageway 28. The rotatable member 30 is now free to travel with the partition 51 in branch 35 of passageway 28 until the opening 43 registers with the outlet 25 of passageway 23. At the same time, the partition 41 separates the pill in the throat 27 and the pill in the passageway 23 preventing further entry of pills into the passageway 23. When the opening 43 is in register with the outlet 25, the pill contained in passageway 23 may be discharged therefrom. Reversing the rotation of the rotatable member 30 brings the parts back to the position shown in FIG. 2. The modification of the invention operates in the same manner as above described.

The advantages of the invention are manifest. The dispenser has no removable cap and the contents thereof cannot be spilled or accidentally discharged therefrom. Only one pill at a time can be dispensed. The various parts of the dispenser remain assembled during usage or storage of the same so that there is no danger of losing the cap or any other part of the dispenser. The operation of the dispenser involves ingenuity beyond that of a small child incapable of reasoning so that a child getting hold of the dispenser would be unable to withdraw pills from the same. The pills being concealed within the case at all times prior to dispensing thereof and not touched by hand until after being dispensed are protected from contamination. The invention can be constructed of polyethylene or some similar plastic material and in such case would be unbreakable if dropped on a hard floor.

Changes in the specific form of the invention, as herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

ll. A pill dispenser comprising a case having a compartment for the reception of pills to be dispensed, a fixed cylindrical member carried by said case and having inner and outer ends, an eccentric longitudinal passageway in said cylindrical member and extending through said ends, the inner portion of said passageway being flared to form a funnel leading into the outer portion thereof, said fixed member having an annular circumferential groove extending through the cylindrical surface thereof, an offset in said groove forming an abutment extending in a longitudinal direction, a rotatable member mounted for rotation on said cylindrical member and having a sleeve encircling said fixed member and an end wall overlying the outer end of said fixed member, said end Wall serving as a closure for the outer end of said passageway and having an opening therein adapted to register with the outer end of said passageway to open the same, a button on said sleeve adapted to enter said groove and engageable with said abutment, said fixed member having a second annular circumferential groove disposed outwardly of the throat of said funnel and of said first annular groove, said second groove intersecting said passageway, an inlet closure issuing inwardly from said sleeve and received in said second annular groove, said second annular groove having an offset therein dividing said second groove into two longitudinally spaced branches with a connecting portion therebetween, said second ofiset receiving said inlet closure when the first offset receives said button, the branches of both grooves being equally spaced longitudinally.

2. A pill dispenser comprising a case having a compartment for the reception of pills to be dispensed, a fixed cylindrical member carried by said case and having inner and outer ends, an eccentric longitudinal passageway in said cylindrical member and extending through said ends, the inner portion of said passageway being flared to form a funnel leading into the outer portion thereof, said fixed member having an annular circumferential groove extending through the cylindrical surface thereof, an offset in said groove forming an abutment extending in a longitudinal direction, a rotatable member mounted for rotation on said cylindrical member and having a sleeve encircling said fixed member and an end wall overlying the outer end of said fixed member, said end wall serving as a closure for the outer end of said passageway and having an opening therein adapted to register with the outer end of said passageway to open the same, a button on said sleeve adapted to enter said groove and engageable with said abutment, said fixed member having a second annular circumferential groove disposed outwardly of the throat of said funnel and of said first annular groove, said second groove intersecting said passageway, an inlet closure issuing inwardly from said sleeve and received in said second annular groove, said second annular groove having an offset therein dividing said second groove into two longitudinally spaced branches with a connecting portion therebetween, said second offset receiving said inlet closure when the first offset receives said button, the branches of both grooves being equally spaced longitudinally and a longitudinally extending groove in said fixed member extending inwardly from the outer end of said fixed member and intersecting said second annular groove, said last-named groove being of dimensions to receive said inlet closure.

3. A pill dispenser comprising a case having a compartment for the reception of pills to be dispensed, a fixed cylindrical member provided with an outer end and an inner end, means for attaching the inner end of said fixed member to said case, said fixed member having an eccentric longitudinal passageway extending therethrough and through the ends thereof, said passageway having an inlet at its inner end communicating with said compartment and an outlet at its outer end for discharging pills therefrom, a rotatable member comprising a sleeve encircling said fixed member and an end Wall attachable to said sleeve with the end wall overlying the outer end of said fixed member, said end Wall having an opening therein and through which pills passing through said passageway may be discharged therefrom, the remaining portion of said end wall serving as a closure for closing said outlet, said fixed member having an annular circumferential groove therein concentric with the axis of said rotatable member, an inlet closure for said passageway, issuing inwardly from said sleeve, a longitudinal passageway at the circumference of said fixed member extending through the inner end of said fixed member and intersecting said annular groove, said inlet closure being adapted to enter said last-named passageway and to the guided into said annular groove thereby, said annular groove being of a length less than the complete circumference of said fixed member and having at its ends stops for engagement with said inlet closure when at its terminal positions to terminate further continued rotation thereof and a longitudinal offset in said annular groove intermediate the stops therein and forming spaced branches therein with an abutment at said offset, terminating rotational movement of said inlet closure along one of said branches at a locality removed from either terminal position of said inlet closure.

4. A pill dispenser comprising a case having a compartment for the reception of pills to be dispensed, a fixed cylindrical member provided with an outer end and an inner end, means for attaching the inner end of said fixed member to said case, said fixed member having an eccentric longitudinal passageway extending therethrough and through the ends thereof, said passageway having an inlet at its inner end communicating with said compartment and an outlet at its outer end for discharging pills therefrom, a rotatable member comprising a sleeve encircling said fixed member and an end wall attached thereto, said end wall overlying the outer end of said fixed member, said end wall having an opening therein and through which pills passing through said passageway may be discharged therefrom, the remaining portion of said end wall serving as a closure for closing said outlet, said fixed member having an annular circumferential groove therein concentric with the axis of said rotatable member, an inlet closure for said passageway, issuing inwardly from said sleeve, a longitudinal passageway at the circumference of said fixed member extending through one end of said fixed member and intersecting said annular groove, said inlet closure being adapted to enter said last-named passageway and to be guided into said annular groove thereby, said annular groove being of a length less than the complete circumference of said fixed member and having at its ends stops for engagement with said inlet closure when at its terminal positions to terminate further continued rotation thereof and a longitudinal offset in said annular groove intermediate the stops therein and forming spaced branches therein with an abutment at said ofiset terminating rotational movement of said inlet closure along one of said branches 7 8 at a locality removed from either terminal position of 3,102,662 9/ 1963 Crabtree 221-151 said lnlet closure. FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited by the Examiner 1, ,3 llzran ,262, 61 4 rance. UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 345,290 4/1960 Switzerland. 1,208,695 12/1916 Takemi 222452 2,385,677 9/1945 Bailey 222452 LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 2,780,984 2/1957 Kleeman 22'2404 X Lermer Exanuner' 

1. A PILL DISPENSER COMPRISING A CASE HAVING A COMPARTMENT FOR THE RECEPTION OF PILLS TO BE DISPENSED, A FIXED CYLINDRICAL MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID CASE AND HAVING INNER AND OUTER ENDS, AN ECCENTRIC LONGITUDINAL PASSAGEWAY IN SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ENDS, THE INNER PORTION OF SAID PASSAGEWAY BEING FLARED TO FORM A FUNNEL LEADING INTO THE OUTER PORTION THEREOF, SAID FIXED MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE EXTENDING THROUGH THE CYLINDRICAL SURFACE THEREOF, AN OFFSET IN SAID GROOVE FORMING AN ABUTMENT EXTENDING IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION, A ROTATABLE MEMBER MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER AND HAVING A SLEEVE ENCIRCLING SAID FIXED MEMBER AND AN END WALL OVERLYING THE OUTER END OF SAID FIXED MEMBER, SAID END WALL SERVING AS A CLOSURE FOR THE OUTER END OF SAID PASSAGEWAY AND HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN ADAPTED TO REGISTER WITH THE OUTER END OF SAID PASSAGEWAY TO OPEN THE SAME, A BUTTON ON SAID SLEEVE ADAPTED TO ENTER SAID GROOVE AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ABUTMENT, SAID FIXED MEMBER HAVING A SECOND ANNULAR CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE DISPOSED OUTWARDLY OF THE THROAT OF SAID FUNNEL AND OF SAID FIRST ANNULAR GROOVE, SAID SECOND GROOVE INTERSECTING SAID PASSAGEWAY, AN INLET CLOSURE ISSUING INWARDLY FROM SAID SLEEVE AND RECEIVED IN SAID SECOND ANNULAR GROOVE, SAID SECOND ANNULAR GROOVE HAVING AN OFFSET THEREIN DIVIDING SAID SECOND GROOVE INTO TWO LONGITUDINALLY SPACED BRANCHES WITH A CONNECTING PORTION THEREBETWEEN, SAID SECOND OFFSET RECEIVING SAID INLET CLOSURE WHEN THE FIRST OFFSET RECEIVES SAID BUTTON, THE BRANCHES OF BOTH GROOVES BEING EQUALLY SPACED LONGITUDINALLY. 